Welcoming the Light
by Tenku Greywords
Summary: (UPDATE CHAPTER 6)sequel to Further into the Darkness Life seems to stand still, frozen in grief. Mitsuko, 0015, revived and miserable; until a very special person comes back into her life. But with a deadly secret to hide. Can they welcome the light?
1. Chapter 1

A.N.  Yay, my sequel… lol

Welcoming the Light

  Chapter 1- Welcome Back

Wake up… that's how I remember it. That's how they woke me before. But not this time. No matter how much it repeats, I don't wake up. I don't want to. I can't live with what I've done. Me. Stupid me. I really am weak, aren't I? Being taken over by Black Ghost like that, or Her father, or whatever the hell he calls himself. It's my fault this happened. 

Touma, even Her, all gone. Her being my best friend. The friend I killed in my term of weakness. Why do they still want to resurrect me into the world again? I killed Her! I did! I was weak. Weak, weak, weak. And now She is gone. She, the one who stood up for me even when I was little. The on I found… or was it she found me?

We've been through so much, so why the hell does it have to end this way? Why, why, WHY?! Why must I live with this overpowering guilt? Why must they bring me back? I deserve to die. I deserve to die….

She's gone… I disserve to die.  

Cloud…. 0014…. Gone. Gone because of me. Gone because of my weakness and her father's will to make her suffer. Why… why and how could a man like him have been created? Why? Was it all some trick of God? No… God is too great for that. Everything has a purpose. Mother always said so… so did Daddy… 

Oh how I miss them….and now I'll never see them. Never. Because they're probably dead. Dead, dead, dead. 

Like Cloud.

Like Touma.

Like I should be.

I should die. 

They won't let me.

Why? Why do they even care about a wretched thing such as myself? Why?! I killed Her! It's all my fault. All my fault. Please don't bring me back. 

_Wake up!_

I don't want to. Please don't make me wake up. I don't want to wake up… please… just don't make me wake up! Let me die! I shouldn't be the one to survive! Touma should be. And so should Cloud. Why… why won't you stop trying to reawaken me. I don't deserve it…

_It's because we care…_

Is that it? They care? They care about me? WHY?! I KILLED HER DAMN IT! 

I was weak and now she suffers for it. It's not fair, not fair at all. She, cursed because of me, burdened because of me, and now dead by me. Me, me, me. All my fault. They shouldn't give a flying crap about me… they really shouldn't….. 

A light.

_Don't be afraid. We can cope. I will explain…_

Walk towards it and live? Compensate for their deaths? Or die and let their deaths be uncompensated for.

It hits me. I must live. To compensate for their destruction, Mitsuko Akira MUST be alive.

*

Eyes blink open and stare at the lights raining its luminescent fury down upon her. It stings her eyes, but she lets it. The pain is comforting. So very comforting. _Welcome the pain Mitsuko_, she thinks. _It's going to hurt anyway…_

A soft beeping meats her ears. So soft, delicate, and so very vulnerable. She shivers. She remembers hearing that sort of beeping before. Its her heart. Her ugly, murdering heart. 

Grief washes over her at those thoughts. Had she really started to hate herself? She groans and turns her head. A doctor in a white lab coat is hunched over a computer screen. He turns and smiles kindly. Words float past her ears, but she can't understand them at all. Then all at once, she hears a voice.

"Welcome back." 

TBC

A.N. what do ya think? 

And yes, Touma ended up being evil. He was a cyborg implanted with memories of the real Touma who Black Ghost murdered. I'll reveal it latter though ^.~


	2. Chapter 2

A.N. Yeah, second chapter! WOOT!

Welcoming the Light

Chapter 2- Where is it I am going?

I wonder, where is it we are going now? Trees have passed by the windows so many times, I feel so groggy, like waking up from a dream. His face smiles at me and familiar feelings creep up on me. I know he's drugged me for the ride, he knows how I feel about visiting this forest. Strangely I don't mind it, I know it's not the drugs. I have nothing left in the forest anyway, only painful memories.

I can't help but wonder if she misses me, if she's alive, do any of them miss me? I suppose I'll never know, and I guess I don't mind. I don't even know how long it's been since I died and was brought back. It's too painful. I don't even want to remember the bringing back. I can't stand what the price is. 

I want to ask where we are going, but I feel too tired to do so. My body feels a million pounds heavier it seems. His hand gently pushed some of my hair from my face. His touch is warm, just like mine used to be. Now I'm cold. He and Shiboo tell me I'll be cold for a while until I can reconcile with what happened. Touma comments that every day my skin grows warmer as I come to terms with his other self's death, and mine too. So many people have left me. There is a war in my head now. Painful, it is. 

Once again I want to ask where we are going as trees are beginning to thin out and melt into large buildings. A city, I realize. A big city full of people. A shudder, I can feel it. I don't like people, I never have and I don't think I ever will. 

"Where…" my voice comes out a croak and my ears flatten of their own accord. Touma smiles almost sadly and yet almost happily at the same time. He looks so different as he is. Older, like me. 

He and I, it feels strange to say, are so much more different now. Some would call us demons, others angels of death. Maybe even Nightwalkers. But the humorous thing is that we walk in both sunlight and moonlight. Though no longer are we particularly fond of the sunlight, it is fine with us both, it just burns a little and it can give us a nasty sunburn. We can cope and adjust if we have to. 

A distant cry of wolves reaches my sensitive ears. They're returning to their dens. A whimper escapes as we leave them behind. I miss them, and Touma knows this. He pets me like he used to. He uses his affectionate pet name for me. Just like old times.

With a frown I notice the light sleeping drug is wearing off, which in turn causes little shards of pain to ebb through my growing stomach. I stare down at the oversized bulb in wonder. Lord knows how many times I'd asked him if I was fat. He'd just say I looked fine to him.

Goodness, whatever little angel is in there has a nasty kick. Touma notices my hand there, and he smile, gently caressing my cheek. I wonder, is this what true happiness feels like?

No. 

True happiness is having friends to back you up. True love is here, it is me and Touma, but I can never be happy without my friends. A nagging question continues to linger as I feel myself awaken. I wish Shiboo hadn't passed the border between the two worlds so soon, I miss her. 

"Where are we going?" I can hear myself mumble groggily. Touma kind of just laughs a bit, hands moving around on the steering wheel. His eyes sparkle with light. I can only just stare at him a moment before turning my attention out the window and smiling myself. A surprise then, interesting. 

"You'll see Kitten." He addresses softly, continuing his carefree driving throughout the city. I almost envy his carefree nature. But I know it's just because he's happy, and that is intoxicating. I can feel my spirits lift with his. Tiredness envelops me in its gentle embrace so suddenly once more. I let my eyes slide closed. I can feel my tail twitch a bit as I adjust my hearing range to a normal human's range. Touma is lucky; he doesn't have to go through that hindrance when he goes through wild areas. It's an instinct I guess. I'll live.

I still want to know where we're going. 

********

Mitsuko sighed and once again let her head rest on her hands. Had it only been weeks ago since she'd been reawakened? She looked out the restaurant window. Her break was almost over, and then she'd step in for 003. Working in 006's restaurant helped eased the heavy burdens on her shoulders. It had only been a few days ago that she'd come out of the deep depression she had first collapsed in. Since then, working helped so much. 

But as usual 0015 spoke not a word to 003 as she took her place in the back corner of the kitchen for her own break. But 003 did. She waved and smiled cheerfully, murmuring a soft comment that fell on deaf ears as 0015 made her way out into the main part of the restaurant. Her job was to bus tables and wash dishes for the main part. One of the other hired waitresses took orders. 

_I may not like the work, but it s something to do_. Mitsuko would mentally sighed to herself as she did the menial task. She wasn't complaining, but she wasn't skipping and scream for joy either. She was in an in between place, numb like she'd come to be. Not joyful and jubilant as she might have been if…if… she couldn't bear to think about it least she collapse into a fit of crying right here in the middle of the restaurant in front of all the customers. No, she mustn't make a scene.

In an unassuming way, 0015 made her way around the tables, taking away dishes to wash later while setting it up for new customers. She tried quite hard, and managed to push away all other thoughts. That is how she lived now. Always…

0015 continued to do this monotonous task for hours, not realizing time. To her hours were minutes and her work was life. She had to work. Work to push away the pain, work to push away the grief, and most of all-work to push away the guilt. It wasn't a good life; in fact it was very tiring. 

But she owed that much to Cloud and Touma. All her earthly pain and more. So much more.  

Thus 0015 was startled when a gentle hand was laid on her shoulder. So startled in fact, she nearly dropped the dish she was washing. Idly she wondered just how she got into the kitchen, but she brushed it off.

"Mitsuko?" 003, Françoise, asked gently, her greenish blue eyes open and shinning with concern. 0015 blinked sleepily and then smiles a little. It is a sign they share, and 003 took it as 'sorry, I was in my doze again, ha ha ha! My bad'. So much out of a simple smile… 

"It's almost closing time." There is a secret sort of smile in 003's eyes as she looks at 0015, as bright and joyful as ever. She and Joe made a perfect couple, Mitsuko realized. Their wedding had been some time ago.

When she was dead.

But she still saw the video tape of it. It had been a beautiful wedding. Flowers of all kinds, a lovely dress, so beautiful. Everything was beautiful. Except her. _Ugly, ugly, ugly! _Mitsuko would shout at herself whenever she passed by a mirror. For she felt it was true. She was stained with blood and death. Many times she wished they hadn't cared so much about her. She wished they'd just let her die.

_What is the difference now_? She'd liked to demand._ I'm never going to speak again, so why have me around? I wont talk to you, I wont_!

TBC

A.N. Oh dear, Mitsuko (0015 for those with poor memory) is spiraling downhill and doesn't realize her friends are alive. And in case you can't guess, what they are will be revealed next chapter ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud sighed laboriously and continued to gaze dejectedly out the window. Her stomach was growling and the _thing_ inside her was kicking mercilessly. The moonlight, normally quite refreshing, was now only an annoying pain in her eyes. However, she had to surpass it in order to look for Touma, who, at this point, was probably making a clean getaway from the hospital.

Just as she'd expected, Touma, a faint figure etched in shadow, came back at a running pace, his precious cargo carried in his arms so carefully it might have been mistaken for a baby. As quickly as he could, he got into the car and floored it, swerving out of sight in a matter of seconds.

"You have it?" Cloud whispered softly, sorrow obvious in her voice. She turned her head from the window, and Touma parked the car into a rest stop where they would most likely be staying for the night.

"Yes." Touma whispered and gently patted the package now seated between them. It was a crudely wrapped, brown bag that one might expect to receive in the mail. Carefully, as if it were the most treasured thing on earth, Touma opened it and revealed packets of precious, life-saving, crimson liquid. It pulsed and called to them, making their stomachs crave it even more. They were so hungry…

Greedily they each took their share of packets and set them in their laps to feast as a new, demonic look came to them. There was a feral, more vicious sense to them as they slowly brought the packets to their lips and bit in, puncturing the plastic to greedily suck in the chilled liquid. Of course, they'd much rather had it warm, but they were so very hungry…

002, also known as Jet Link, fresh from the shower, seated himself on the couch and turned on the TV to catch the evening news as he tried to catch the water droplets before they soaked his shirt.

As the black screen came to life and began to dance with color and images, a familiar anchorwoman came to the screen. She was a cubby lady with dark auburn hair, cut to her shoulders, who had a very nice voice to listen to. Her greens eyes, as usual, seemed to sparkle with love for her work, and every movement was full of grace, something you wouldn't expect of a woman of her stature.

"Konnichiwa, and welcome to Channel 9 news. I'm Midori Makamichi! Our top story today is the mysterious robbery of our local hospital! Night shift doctors and nurses say somebody broke in a stole several ounces of blood last night from the freezer, but they left no trace of themselves! The only evidence of the robbery is the missing blood and the testimonies of several nurses, who say they saw a ghostly shadow leaving the hospital with a package under their arm."

This perked Jet's interest. '_Since when would someone steal blood? What type of sicko would do that_?' he wondered, an old friend, his temper, flaring at the thought. He decided to pay attention, rather than ignore the news.

"When we investigated further into this story, we found that other hospitals have been burglarized too! Even Tokyo hospitals have been included in this list! Police are baffled, and its this reporters opinion that these people are all a bunch of sicko's! Now, on other news…."

Jet didn't bother to pay attention to the rest of the report, nothing else concerned him now. Something about this burglary didn't strike a right chord with him, something was off. Humans would leave fingerprints, no one could commit the perfect crime.

Call him suspicious if you will, but he'd been through enough for it to be reasonable. With a twinge of fear as he dialed an all too familiar number, a thought ran across his mind.

What if Black Ghost was the cause behind this?

What if…..what if they found a way to build more advanced cyborgs?

_Ring_

_Ring_

The ringing of the phone resonated through 003, or Françoise Arnoul's, ears as she continued to stare at the screen in front of her. She felt dizzy and tense all at once, she didn't know what to think after hearing a report such as the one she'd just heard. All of it seemed to very unreal, and her mind was jumping all around at the plausible causes and people that could have committed this crime. The strongest was one she'd rather not have thought of.

Black ghost.

"Hello?" Joe Shimamura, previously known as 009, saved the day for all of them once again by doing one of the simplest tasks in this present-day world; answering the phone.

"Shimamura?" came the loud, but more tenacious voice of Jet from the other line.

"Jet! It's been a long time!" A smile came to Joe's face as the familiar sound of his friend's voice hugged his heart. They hadn't heard from Jet in a while, not since he'd found an apartment in the city and went to try living on his own.

"Did you….just see the news?" Jet asked seriously, and Joe could picture his friend's brow furrowing, just as his now did.

"Yes, we all did-" he was about to add what their suspicions were, but Jet beat him to it.

"And you think Black Ghost could be behind it." Jet stated, as if he were stating a fact like 'the sky is blue' or 'the sun is a star'.

"Exactly." Joe confirmed, with a nod of his head, even though he knew Jet couldn't see such an action. That confirmed between them there was a tense moment of silence.

"I'll be there tomorrow." And then jet hung up.

TBC

A.N. Wow, that's interesting, isn't it? Review and Read! Lol! Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. I want to thank all my reviewers so far and apologize for taking so long! I've been writing a novel! (I'll let you know the title when it's finished .)

I especially want to thank Jesscheaux Midou for being one of my most faithful reviewers!

IMPORTANT: I might leave it up to the readers to decide who Mitsuko might just fall in love with. Who do y'all think?

Welcoming the Light

Chapter 4

Mitsuko stared at the television with a placid expression on her face as she half turned into what the reporter was saying. She honestly didn't care anymore about current events, and she couldn't even believe there was a time when she had. The world was such a dark, desolate place full of suffering. It didn't matter if some sickos decided they wanted to gratify their needs and steal blood from a hospital, she wouldn't need it, so why should she care?

She shouldn't. That was the conclusion she came up with as Pyunma, 008, turned off the TV and plunged the room into silence. The phone rang, she didn't bother getting her hopes up. She used to think every hone call would be her friend, calling to say she was Ok, that she didn't die, that she was still here….not dead and gone.

Depression lurked in the dark confines of her mind as she drew her legs to her chest and buried her face there, closing her eyes in pain as she forced back the angry hot tears. If anyone said anything more to her, she didn't know, she just blocked them out. Like she usually did. Misery was too strong for her, it's intoxicating pain the only relief she could find; and it wasn't even a relief if she really took the time to actually think about it. It was only a punishment.

She thought of her friend, and how they used to be. How beautiful Cloud had looked after their agreed upon deal. Françoise had even gotten into the deal, and had helped her remake the boyish form of her friend. She had been a knockout for one night, because by the next morning she was back in her baggy clothes, back in that protective shell she had treasured since Mitsuko could remember. Her animalistic friend in the baggy clothes…

Mitsuko tried not to dwell on it, tried not to dwell on the fact that those memories were only memories and they would never be added onto or become real again. They were just phantoms of her past now, making her relieve a constant, hellish nightmare of her own doing; even if she hadn't been conscious enough to carry out her actions, it was still her fault. All her fault. She. was. a. murderer. And of her own friend, no less.

But the memories still came, new ones she'd lived in her rebirth. She remembered looking up her family and finding their graves. All of them, murdered. She hadn't found the time to cry back then, and she'd even looked up Touma. He was in a grave of his own. Yet Cloud wasn't. She was simply gone. Her body wasn't decomposing like the rest…. Maybe that is why she still had hope, a faint little glimmer in her otherwise dead eyes.

* * *

I can't help but wonder, yet again, where we are going. I look at Touma, but he doesn't look back or tell me. It is making me sad, mad, and so confused. Shiboo told me of our fate. Of what we must do to survive, but I didn't want to believe her at first, I had yelled.

I now know my mother is no liar, and that we have to do this heinous act to survive. But we don't kill anyone, so it isn't so bad. The lies are what's bad, the lies and deceit. That…and knowing my Touma, my dear, sweet, Touma who seems so real next to me, is not real at all. He is only a shadow of the real Touma, and yet I love me, just as I will love the real essence of my love that is growing in my stomach.

Shiboo has told me this much. Told me that my baby will be a baby born from Touma and I, when we were but souls, wandering the ocean while Shiboo made arrangements for our rebirth. We lived on soul time, living years upon years in seconds to real time. It was so happy… and then it had to end. I was reborn, and Touma was recreated into yet another cyborg body that Shiboo says will leave me once I get the hang of my survival technique…. Once I learn how to feed myself.

I feel almost puppyish, as if Shiboo is treating me like I was a puppy again, teaching me how to speak her tongue and how to forage. I close my eyes and savor those memories, and try to block out the pain of knowing that Shiboo is no longer on the living or soul plain, she has ascended.

I suppose I should be happy my mother had ascended, but I can't help but feel an incredible sense of lose and loneliness. Her spirit can no longer embrace me in the night, and comfort me by telling me that I am not loosing anything, but gaining something. Words she always told me when I was a pup, learning the rules of the wilderness.

I look at Touma, and he smiles at me. I love him, he is just like Touma, but this time I know he is fake. I know he will leave me, and I know I will be alone. I have dealt with that, and now, trying not to sound hoarse, I ask again;

"Where are we going?"

For a moment I think he will not answer. And then he smiled, his facial muscles moving with the aid of the mechanical parts under his skin, just like mine, and says;

"To a place where you can be happy, and I can leave you in peace." And then he veers off the road and we zoom down a dusty path I swear I know from somewhere, and head towards the sea, as a sensation I cannot quite describe, travels through me and makes me feel…light.

Is this what Shiboo meant when she told me Touma would leave me happy, ready to start a new life? I don't know, all I know is that it's coming back to me. The memories that Shiboo promised…. But they're fuzzy, and I can't quite place them.

Touma stops the car, and I stare into the sea that I had roamed in spirit. We get out and the sand seems to want to swallow me up. The sun begins to set and Touma gently urges me foreword.

"It is time to part, little one, my kitten." And we share a kiss, that I believe I shall never forget. He touched my growing stomach fondly, wraps me up in his coat, and then I am plunged into the water to let the tides take me where fate wishes me.

My adventure, it seems, begins again.

Yet, I can't help but wonder….

What are these memories trying to tell me?

Sleep takes me, and I find myself going with the tides, letting them carry me away from Touma and all I know now, towards what will surely be my destiny.

TBC!

A.N. please read and review!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait! I've been writing a book and I've been sick and all sorts of stuff! I know my excuses are probably not enough to quell your rage, so, please, don't hurt me! ;;

Welcoming the Light

Chapter 5

Mitsuko found herself wandering around the house like she always did when everyone was away, leaving her alone and in a constant stupor. They left her simply because they knew she was no invalid and could very well take care of herself, that and she seemed to prefer it. And as they saw it, any bit of happiness they could instill in Mitsuko's life was beneficial. For maybe, just maybe, that little bit of happiness and bliss could awaken Mitsuko's tongue and elicit her to be 'normal' again.

Mitsuko stared out at the beach for the umpteenth time in the period she had been left alone. She had no idea what was going on, or why they had left this time. They had simply all been full of smiles, some of them looking half fake, as they told her they'd be gone for a few hours. Hours that, to Mitsuko, could seem like eternity.

But she didn't mind it, no, she definitely didn't mind it as it gave her time to be alone with her thoughts and walk the beach by her lonesome, instead of being faced with their sympathetic looks and their sad gazes. And as she walked the beach now, Mitsuko felt totally at peace with herself as she reflected on past memories.

This very beach was the spot Cloud had conducted her experiment on Mitsuko's underwater change. They had laughed about it then, and Mitsuko even aloud herself to smile now at the memory. She had freaked out, royally, but then she had begun laughing when Cloud began to joke around, calling her a 'real fish' now. It had been a wonderfully brilliant and harmonious day…

Of course, this was also the same beach Cloud had died upon, disappearing forever under the water depths. Her body still hadn't been found, and that gave Mitsuko some hope as to her friend being alive. But inside she knew it was impossible, no one could have survived the blast she herself had thrown out. No one. And she knew that someday she would have to get over her recently developed fear of the water and face reality; Cloud was not coming back, she was dead. And so was Touma. Both her friends were dead.

Tears then leaked out of Mitsuko's eyes as she pushed away the painful memories and resumed her lethargic walk. She had been so tired as of late, and she knew her friends were worried about her. Chang himself had been trying to conceive a variety of food to help her wake up more, but none of it had worked and she had become almost averse to eating. She knew she was starving herself, somewhere she knew it, but Mitsuko just couldn't find anything within her that cared if she lived or died.

'_I am such a worthless thing.'_ Mitsuko thought to herself, her eyes cast down to look at her feet as they maneuvered their way upon the sand, staying far away from the ocean's encouraging swells. She would have nothing o do with her former love. She wouldn't speak, nor would she seek relief and comfort in the water. She would have nothing to do with it. Every time she stepped close to those beautiful waves, images of her dead friend flashed through her mind, paralyzing her and stopping her from embracing nature's gift.

So, Mitsuko continued wandering the beach, looking out at the waves for a sign, anything, that would tell her that her friend was alive. It was then she happened to see something in the distance. Squinting, trying to get a better look from where she stood, Mitsuko dried to discern if the object was driftwood.

Something in Mitsuko's heart panged when the driftwood began to seemingly take human shape. Her mind was screaming at her that it was impossible, that it was driftwood and she should not investigate, but the pang in her heart told her otherwise. Tears began to burn her eyes and her heart and head began to pound as Mitsuko began running towards the figure in the difference. And as she drew nearer and nearer, her hope ready to explode from the chest as the driftwood began to look more and more human-like, Mitsuko's sobs and tears increased.

Then, she stood there, a few feat away from the creature, and she could hear only her heart and her cries. She stepped closer and her knees crumbled underneath her, as she scooted closer. Not daring to breathing, she reached out to see if her hand would pass through, that the thing before her was only an illusion. It didn't, and Mitsuko's hand came in contact with slightly damp cloth.

The ears, the tail, all were there. Her hair was longer than she remembered, and her stomach swollen, but Mitsuko knew as she'd known when she'd first seen the shape; it was Cloud. It was Cloud, and she was alive. The sea salt had not marred her delicate skin, and the sun had not scorched her as of yet, and only Mitsuko's tears fell upon her now as she gazed at the peaceful face of her friend, hovering over her in shock, awe, and happiness. Words wanted to spill from her throat, and flow of Cloud in a waterfall. But all the years of not speaking made it difficult for even one word to form, let alone a barrage of sentences.

"Cloud…" Mitsuko croaked, speaking for the first time in many years. Her throat ached and her vocal cords strained with the effort it took, but she managed it, somehow. Then, Mitsuko buckled under all the years of stress and depression; she curled around herself and screamed out sobs of joy.

TBC

Author's Note: I know, I know. It's short! I'm sorry, I'm trying though! Sorry for the wait! I'm writing a book! Lol.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I'm so sorry! It's been forever since I've updated! I'll try to update more often from now on, but I'm not gonna promise anything, alright?

DISCALIMER: I DON'T OWN IT, BUT I WISH I DID!

Welcoming the Light 6

Voices assaulted her ears, voices that were slightly familiar. But the throbbing pain in her temples made her want them to go away, even though memory was itching at the back of that annoyance. A warmth had also encased her hand as well, and as she tried to force herself from sleep, she realized it was a hand, warmly enveloping her own, making her feel safe enough to let herself slowly wake up, rather than force it.

Minutes later, the voices still quietly bombarding her, she let her eyes flutter open and absorb the sights. She was in a hospital room, or what looked like one, she realized with and odd sense of de-ja-vu. Machines quietly beeped or did whatever noise they were supposed to, and overall the room wasn't too intimidating despite them. In fact, it was almost homey, especially with the oddly familiar voices in the next room.

Cloud then turned her attention to the warm hand gripping her own, careful of the IV needles that stuck out of her veins at odd angles to supply her with who knew what. Slowly, she let her eyes trace upwards, lingering on the arm before finding the face of the person who so doted on her.

As soon as her eyes landed on the slumbering girl, memories flashed through her mind as fast as lightening. A pain in her chest, being submerged in water, a feeling of impeding death, and then warmth and happiness… she let her memories trail off as emotions swamped her, making her feel as though she was on a dizzying roller coaster.

Suddenly, the closed eyes snapped open, looking into Cloud's face. Emotions chased each other across the face that was so familiar to Cloud. Slowly, ever so slowly, both girls reach up to touch the other's face, both thinking the same thing as tears threatened to spill from their eyes and their hearts hammered away in their chests.

"You're alive." They both murmured at the same time, almost breathlessly. Another quiet moment was shared, and then Mitsuko leapt up and wrapped her friend in a warm hug, sobbing as Cloud hugged her back as best a pregnant woman can, sobbing her own feelings out in a rainfall of emotion.

They squeezed each other in a powerful hug, as if they'd never let go again, both crying into the other's shoulders as their eyes forced up rivers of tears. Things like 'miss you' and 'love you' were repeated over and over again, causing quite a stir, which related to the reason why the door was so suddenly opened, emitted several worried faces, which soon turned into smiles and in some cases, tears of joy.

The girls somehow managed to part from each other, their eyes clouded and reddened by tears and nose stuffed from crying so much. Cloud then looked at the new visitors and smiled, wiping the tears away from her eyes, desperate to stop them from falling. The voices now made sense in her still throbbing head, and she could place every single one of them with a clarity she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

It was like just seeing them had awakened a dormant self inside her, which pushed away the primal instinct she had been living on for who knew how long momentarily. She felt, for the first time in a long time, alive. She knew people and knew memories she had forgotten. She could remember who she was without Touma having to tell her, could remember what had happened and why. She remembered so much that it hurt, and it made her so happy she felt like crying.

"I know you." She whispered, almost to herself, _I know you.. Finally I'm not asking where I'm going, because I'm here,_ she then thought.

TBC

Author's Note: I know, it's really, really short. But I'll update soon, I promise, to make up for it.


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